Optical fibers are being used widely today for telecommunications applications such as for telephone and data transmission lines. They offer excellent transmission rates and large band widths, generally at a lower cost and with a significantly smaller size than old, conventional copper wire transmission lines. Additionally, the quality of voice and data transmissions using optical fibers is significantly greater, with much lower signal losses, than with copper wire. Accordingly, the use of optical fibers enables a greater volume of telephone and data transmissions with potentially significantly less expense but with greater clarity and speed.
In the production of optical fibers, the fibers generally are formed from multicomponent glass mixtures from which long, thin fibers are drawn using a fiber-pulling machine, after which the fibers typically are passed through a color application process. During the color application process, the fibers are colored either red, green, etc. for the purpose of coding the fibers for particular applications. The color coding of the fibers is necessary for the connection and splicing of the fibers to their correct mating fibers in the field. Prior to the color application process, however, it is necessary to clean the fibers as thoroughly, as possible, inasmuch as dust and other particulate matter collected on the fibers has a tendency to clog the dies through which the fibers are passed for the color applications, and can cause nonuniform coloring of the fibers. Additionally, the particulate matter clinging on the fibers also can be covered with the coloring material during the color application process. Such covered particles tend to create minor pressure points along the fibers, which tend to cause microbending losses along the fibers, impairing the transmission quality and capabilities of the fibers.
Currently, numerous cleaning devices have been developed for cleaning optical fibers of collected particulate matter during the production of the fibers. Such cleaning devices generally have included air wipe devices that direct a flow of air against the fibers to blow off the collected particulate matter. The problem with conventional air wipe cleaning devices is that blowing the particulate matter off of the fibers tends to release the particulate matter into the production room, which generally must be maintained as a clean room environment. The airborne dust and particles also can collect on fibers further downstream in the processing path, affecting the quality and capabilities of the fibers. Additionally, it is important that the fibers be placed under tension during cleaning to ensure that the fibers are thoroughly cleaned of dust, etc., and to avoid the fibers twisting or engaging and being abraded or scraped by surfaces of the cleaning devices. Tensioning of the fibers further is important for winding of the fibers on supply rolls.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for a method and apparatus for cleaning optical fibers of particulate matter collected thereon during the production of the fibers without the particulate matter being released into the surrounding environment.